Ukraine and nine European countries have formally established the Integrated Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition, a joint effort to develop shared missile defense capacity for Europe, the Elysee Palace announced Monday.
Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom join Ukraine in the coalition, which will support Kyiv’s Freya air defense project, a Ukrainian-designed system intended to match the Patriot in intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.
“Strong and sufficient anti-ballistic capabilities are essential to bringing Russia’s war against Ukraine to an end,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said. He stressed that Freya is meant to supplement, not replace, existing European air defenses: “a way to create a strong shield over the entirety of Europe, faster and at lower cost.”
The announcement came during a Coalition of the Willing summit in Paris, where at least 25 leaders gathered to address Ukraine’s critical air defense shortages. Ukraine has been largely unable to down Russian ballistic missiles in recent weeks, critically low on munitions. June was one of the deadliest months since the war began.
“We acknowledge the unique experience of Ukraine, gained in defense against Russia’s war of aggression,” the coalition’s joint declaration read. The group said its flagship project will bring together the defense industrial bases, research capacity, and operational experience of all members, and remains open to other nations.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the focus would include sourcing more US Patriot interceptors, advancing deployment of the Franco-Italian SAMP-T system, and developing European and Ukrainian alternatives. “The ballistic missiles launched by Vladimir Putin are deliberately targeting civilian zones,” Barrot said.
The coalition’s formation comes as Russia escalates its missile campaign against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, exploiting Kyiv’s air defense gaps. Leaders also discussed how to tighten the squeeze on Russia’s “shadow fleet,” tankers used to evade sanctions on oil exports.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the coalition could also announce joint military exercises as a step toward making a future multinational force in Ukraine a practical reality. “It’s not a question of conducting exercises in Ukraine,” an official clarified, but of building credible deterrence across land, air, sea, and training pillars.
The EU is also set to adopt its 21st sanctions package against Russia next week.